Bird & Bird LLP

• International
• City

• Corporate
• Commercial
• Property
• Dispute Resolution
• Banking & Finance
• Employment & Pensions
• Energy
• Infastructure
• Competition & EU
• Insolvency
• IP
• Media
• Tax
• Finance (Banking/Aviation)

• International

• London

• United States
• Europe
• Middle East
• Asia
• Australia
• China

Becoming a trainee at Bird & Bird is the first step to fulfilling your potential and shaping your long-term career. You’ll have real responsibility from day one – working for exciting clients across a range of sectors in a number of practice areas.

Your relationship with the firm starts from the moment we make you an offer. We maintain close links with BPP Law School to ensure that your transition from study to training contract is as smooth as possible. You can expect regular contact, input and tailored seminars from the firm before you even begin your formal career.

During your two-year training contract you will spend six months in four of the following practice areas: Commercial, Employment, Corporate, Finance, Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution and Real Estate. We listen to your department preferences and ensure, wherever possible, that you have either an international or client secondment to enrich your learning.

You’ll take part in a business-skills development programme that will provide the basic building blocks for your future development within the business of law. Additionally, we encourage trainees to get involved in corporate responsibility initiatives, join our Bird & Bird sports teams and take part in various social events. You’ll find we offer an environment in which people genuinely enjoy working together and learning from each other.

It’s a rich learning experience, in which you’ll be given accountability for important pieces of work and have the opportunity to attend client meetings and court hearings.

What we’re looking for

You’ll need to be a driven individual who’s committed to developing into an exceptional lawyer. Of course, we’ll be looking for evidence of your academic success but it’s just as important that you’re a well-rounded person who can demonstrate your fit with our professional, dynamic culture.

Application process

Your application will be screened by a member of the graduate recruitment team.

If you are successful, you will be invited to complete an online test. Successful candidates are then invited to the next stage in the process which is a video interview. Selected candidates are then invited to an assessment day. Assessment days for both direct Training Contracts and Summer Vacation Schemes will be held in January & February 2020.

Unfortunately, we are unable to consider candidates who have applied previously in the same recruitment year and been unsuccessful (at either application or interview). Please wait until the next recruitment year before submitting another application.

When to apply

Our deadline for applications has now passed.  Applications for our 2022 Training Contract will open mid-August 2019.  Further information will be posted shortly.

• London

• BPP

• Application Form
• Online Interview
• Graduate Recruitment Interview
• Partner Interview
• Psychometric Testing
• Written Exercise
• Group Exercise

• No (not a requirement of TC application)

A vacation scheme with Bird & Bird is more than just work experience. It’s an opportunity to discover your potential and kick-start your career in law, taking you straight to the heart of a global law firm.

With access to people across the company including partners and our CEO, you’ll have a chance to live and breathe the brand, experiencing the business from the inside out. You’ll also see first-hand the impact of client relationships and how we work seamlessly between 29 offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Americas region.

You’ll be working on client projects from the outset: our vacation schemes are designed to strengthen your knowledge and give you an unfiltered look at the way people work on an international level. At the end of each placement we’ll be recruiting the best performers for our training contracts.

But there’s no work without play which is why you’ll experience the Bird & Bird social life too. Get to know the people who may eventually become your colleagues and immerse yourself in the friendly and vibrant culture that makes Bird & Bird, and our people, so unique.

We hold two vacation schemes each year, both in summer (2 weeks long). There are 40 positions available across the two schemes. We pay the London living wage.

Vacation Scheme dates:

Summer Vacation Scheme 1: Monday 24 June – Friday 5 July 2019

Summer Vacation Scheme 2: Monday 15 July – Friday 26 July 2019

How to apply

Our deadline for applications has now passed.  Applications for our 2020 summer programmes will open mid-August 2019.  Further information will be posted shortly.

Application Process

Your application will be screened by a member of the graduate recruitment team.

If you are successful, you will be invited to complete an online test. Successful candidates are then invited to the next stage in the process which is a video interview. Selected candidates are then invited to an assessment day.  Assessment days for both direct Training Contracts and Summer Vacation Schemes will be held in January and February 2020.

Unfortunately, we are unable to consider candidates who have applied previously in the same recruitment year and been unsuccessful (at either application or interview). Please wait until the next recruitment year (which commences each September) before submitting another application.

Please note that law students should apply from their penultimate year onwards, and non-law students should apply from their second year. Graduates can apply at any time.

• London

• Application Form
• Online Interview
• Graduate Recruitment Interview
• Partner Interview
• Psychometric Testing
• Written Exercise
• Group Exercise

• CV & Cover Letter
• Graduate Recruitment Interview
• Partner Interview

• BPP

In 2009, we launched our Bursary Scheme, a legal scholarship programme that seeks to address the financial hurdle that often deters bright people from socially deprived areas of the country from attending University.

Our Bursary Scheme offers:

• An award paid in instalments over your three years at University to help with living expenses or other expenses incurred whilst studying.
• A mentoring scheme with our current trainee solicitors to give support and career guidance during your studies.
• A week’s work experience during your first year of University

Entry Criteria

In order to apply for a place on the Bursary Scheme, you must fulfil ALL of the following criteria:

• You must be attending a state (non-fee paying) school, sixth form college in the UK; and
• You must be the first generation in your immediate family to attend university; and
• You must be applying to study Law or a Law-related degree at a UK university. Part time distant learning courses will be considered if circumstances warrant; and
• You should be academically gifted and are typically expected to have achieved at least 5 A grades or 5 Level 7 and above in GCSE, including English and Maths.

How can I apply?

The application process for the Bird & Bird Bursary Scheme opens in January and closes in June. To apply for the Bursary Scheme, you will need to complete the Application Form found on our website.

Along with the completed application form, you will also need to submit a copy of your CV as well as an academic reference to bursary@twobirds.com.

For further information, on the Bursary Scheme, please refer to our website or email bursary@twobirds.com.

• At a Non Fee Paying School
• Eligible for Free School Meals
• In year 12 to year 13 (England and Wales)
• In S5 to S6 (Scotland)
• In Lower/Upper Sixth (Northern Ireland)

• London
• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Leeds
• Liverpool
• Nottingham
• Southampton

• Application Form
• CV & Cover Letter
• Graduate Recruitment Interview
• Reference from teacher
• Group Exercise